(no subject)

[shadesong]

Reminder we are having a party tomorrow! 2pm to whenever. Celebrating autumn. I need to plan out my autumn baking.

*stretch* It's been a really hectic few weeks. Dizzyingly hectic. I finally got a chance to sit down with Judah and figure out our schedules for the next little while, which helps. My schedule for the next few days is scary-packed.

But look, here is a cool thing I did. I identified the things in my life that I should do daily lest I be very cranky that I didn't get to them. Writing, knitting, reading, and a little exercise. I don't exercise like tithenai, but then I am not able-bodied! I just need to take a good walk every day.

So what I've been doing is sitting down, trying to force the writing from a cold start (when I haven't been sidelined onto other stuff altogether, which has been the case most of the summer), and getting frustrated when that doesn't work. I then punish myself by not letting myself do anything fun the rest of the day because I got insufficient work done. Because if I didn't write, I don't deserve downtime, etc.

Thing is, the reading is an important feed-by-brain + relaxing thing, and the knitting is an important productive-activity + relaxing thing, and taking those away is the opposite of help.

So yesterday I could not kick my writerbrain into gear. Instead of going AAGH - I picked up my more complicated knitting to use it as a meditational focus thing.

And it worked; my subconscious linked two important things, and my writerbrain took off on the story, and when I finished the row I went and wrote. Got 1400 words.

First time I've gotten writing done in ages.

Also, I paid attention and when I got to the point of falling out of focus and spinning my wheels, I stopped instead of trying to slog along.

So we'll see if that works! (I read in the afternoon, and walked three miles in the evening.)

And now I am going to go get *coffee*. Which I haven't yet. Mrph. G'mornin'.

Comments

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

Ooo, gluten-free baking!

Sadly, we will probably not come tomorrow as we are still in Unpacking Mode.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

We should do a GF cookie and recipe swap at some point!

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

Actually, I never quite mastered normal cookie baking. I need to poke my friend Bill after he moves in October; his sister also has Celiacs and their mom reworked all the family recipes.

[harkalark.livejournal.com]

Hooray for getting back to writing! I only just recently managed to do that myself (after recovering from the break-in earlier this year), and I know how good that feels. In fact, I'm out of town now and am having to fight feeling cranky over it taking me away from writing again.

[tithenai.livejournal.com]

Writing, knitting, reading, and a little exercise.

Such a fantastic mix! Go you!

I don't exercise like tithenai, but then I am not able-bodied!

omg the fact that you used me as an example of a Person Wot Exercises in this sentence is making me deeply blushy. I would NEVER HAVE THOUGHT that this would become an identifying characteristic.

Movement is crucial to writing, for me. I need to move out of one space and into another; my brain thinks most clearly when I'm walking; if I've been lying around for a while doing little I can't just suddenly start writing. There needs to be movement, change, purpose. A day that starts with me turning on the laptop goes very differently than a day that starts with me dancing to Kate Bush.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Ach, your icon, it kills me; I used to dance.

And you are a badass exercising person! I really admire your strength and tenacity on that, y'know.

I have often told people that I'm pre-writing on my walks. It works it all out in my head, and I'm eavesdropping on scenes, and by the time I get home I have stuff to Put on Paper.

[minkrose]

I realised last night that I didn't have you friended, so that's fixed. :-)

Thing is, the reading is an important feed-by-brain + relaxing thing, and the knitting is an important productive-activity + relaxing thing, and taking those away is the opposite of help.

This is a lesson I figured out for myself recently.
I read less when I'm in school, but since graduating in May, I've been reading INSANE quantities. But, I need input for my brain that isn't just news or keeping up with my friends.
And, I haven't been able to knit or crochet recently (I need to finish up a project, my wrists have been having issues, excuses, etc) and I forgot how much that adds to my overall well-being and feeling of usefulness.

I still need to DO something about it; sometimes I'm reading when I should be doing other things, and I need to find that next crafting project... but it's nice to see that I'm not the only intelligent person who forgets these things!

[divadiane1.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful news! And a lovely life-lesson. Yes, feeding the muse is very important! Keep on keeping on!